One million vehicles moved using automated driving technology: BMW Group and Embotech reach production milestone

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ● BMW Group and technology partner Embotech have moved one million vehicles by automated driving technology, demonstrating production-scale deployment of the Automated Driving In-Plant solution.
● 3,500 vehicles are moved automatically every day across four BMW Group sites in the UK and Germany, with BMW’s Automated Driving In-Plant operating 24/7
● Embotech provides AI-based technology solution and an independently safety-certified architecture for production-scale deployment

Embotech and BMW group have moved one million vehicles using automated driving technology across four BMW Group production sites in the UK and Germany, marking a major milestone in the use of Automated Driving In-Plant in industrial production.

Automotive OEMs are increasingly turning to digitalization and automation to make produc-tion processes more efficient and flexible. Industrial automation is an important part of that shift, but much of the market remains at the pilot stage, operating only a limited number of vehicles.

The one million vehicle milestone demonstrates the scale that BMW Group has achieved with Automated Driving In-Plant, spanning different sites, brands, vehicle types and production and logistics processes. The deployment also shows how the BMW Group and technology partner Embotech have developed Automated Driving In-Plant into a scalable solution for automated vehicle movements within the BMW Group production network.

For automated vehicle movements to become fully integrated into live production, every journey must happen with a high degree of precision and reliability. Together, BMW Group and Embotech have brought the Automated Driving In-Plant solution to approximately 3,500 vehicle movements a day, with more than 99.5% availability. In production environments where unexpected downtime can disrupt wider operations, maintaining that level of availabil-ity is essential to keeping automated vehicle movements integrated into production.

Embotech provides key technology components for the Automated Driving In-Plant solution. These include Embotech’s AI-based software for perception, prediction and planning, which enables vehicles to operate in complex industrial environments, and a separate, deterministic safety architecture, independently certified by TÜV SÜD, that defines and enforces the safety boundary.

What started as an initial pilot in 2022 has now expanded to four BMW Group production sites including Dingolfing, Leipzig and Regensburg in Germany and MINI Plant Oxford in the UK. Across the four sites, Embotech’s technology supports different automated vehicle-movement use cases in defined production and logistics areas.

For industrial operators, the value goes beyond the individual vehicle movement. Automated vehicle movements can support smoother vehicle flow, more stable and flexible operations, 24/7 capability independent of shift staffing, fewer transport damages, better use of available space and greater safety.

Taking a working pilot into 24/7 production demonstrates BMW Group’s ability to integrate and scale Automated Driving In-Plant across its production network, alongside the technolo-gy and operational capability needed to keep automated systems running reliably. As tech-nology partner, Embotech has worked closely with BMW Group to develop supporting tools and processes for deployment, monitoring, diagnosis and recovery. Operational experience supports the continuous improvement of Embotech’s perception, prediction and planning software and product development, helping future deployments and software releases build on what has been learned in live production.

Andreas Kyrtatos, CEO of Embotech, said:
“Automated vehicle movements only create value when intelligence, safety and reliability come together. This milestone shows what is possible when proven technology is integrated into live production and operated reliably around the clock.
“What excites us over and above the one million milestone is the pace at which that experi-ence is compounding. With BMW Group, we completed the first 500,000 automated vehicle movements in 15 months and the next 500,000 in just seven. For Embotech, the next phase is about taking what we have learned into more use cases, sites, customers and industrial envi-ronments.”

Raymond Wittmann, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production
“One million vehicles moved using automated driving technology and the deployment of this technology at four sites to date demonstrates the innovative strength and scaling capabilities of our production network. We recognized the potential of Automated Driving In-Plant early, tested it in a pilot phase and systematically developed it to series maturity. We are now rolling out this technology worldwide.
“Automated Driving In-Plant is a prime example of how we are translating the vision of the BMW iFACTORY into industrial practice and driving the efficiency, digitalization and intelligent connectivity across our production.”

-ENDS-

Dr. Janine van Stiphout
Embotech AG
janine@embotech.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
YouTube